FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Se pt e m be r 7, 2007 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 07- 10783 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D. C . Do c k e tNo . 0 6 - 0 0 0 5 5 - C R - T - 1 7 - T GW U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s E L M O A N T O N I O A L V A R A D O - F O R B E S , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 7, 2007) B efo re A N D E R S O N , B A R K E T T an dH U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A ft erpl ea di ng gu i l ty, E l m o A nt on i o A l vara do -F orbes app ea l s hi s s ent ence2

of 135 m onths ’ i m pr i s onm e ntf orc ons pi r a c yt o pos s e s s a nd pos s e s s i on w i th the i nt entt o d i stri bu t e f

i ve ki l og ram s or m ore of c ocai ne w hi l e abo ar d a vess elsubj ec t t o U ni t e d S t a t e s j ur i s di c t i on, i n vi ol a t i on of 46 U . S . C . app. § 1903( a ) , ( g) , ( j ) ; 21 U . S. C. § 9 6 0 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B) ( i i ) ; a n d1 8 U . S. C. § 2 . A f t e rr e v i e w , w e a f

f i rm. I . B AC KG RO UN D W hi l e on rou t i ne coun t er -drug p atrol w i th the U ni t ed S t at es C oastG uard ( “U S C G ” ) , th e B r itis h N a v a l V e s s e l H M S S o u th h a m p to n s p o tte dap o s s ib le ta r g e t, the M /V R am page, a P anam ani an-f l agged v es se l . P ursuantt o a consentt o b oard a gr e e m e nt , the U S C G t e a m boa r de d the ve s s e l a nd di s c ove r e d 118 ba l e s of c oc a i ne , w e i ghi ng 3, 393. 4 ki l ogr a m s . D e f e nda ntA l va r a do- F orbe s w a s one of f i ve c r e w m e m be r s on boa r d a nd w a s the ve s s e l ’ s m ot orm a n. T h e P resen t en ce In v est i g at i o n R ep o rt(P S I”) assi g n edA l v arad o -F o rb es a ba s e of f e ns e l e ve l of

38, pur s ua ntt o U . S . S . G . § 2D 1. 1( a ) ( 3) a nd ( c ) ( 1) , ba s e d on the 3, 393. 4 ki l ogr a m s of c oc a i ne f

ound on the ve s s e l . T he P S I r e duc e d A l va r a doF o rb es’ s o ffen se l ev el b y tw o l ev el s, p u rsu an tt o U . S . S . G . § 2 D 1 . 1 (b )(9 ), b ecau se A lv a r a d o - F o rb e s m e t th e s a f e ty - v a lv e c r ite r ia , a n db yth r e e le v e ls , p u r s u a n t to U . S . S . G . § 3 E 1 . 1 (a) an d(b ), fo r accep t an ce o f resp o n si b i l i ty. W i th a t o t al o ffen se l evel of 33 and a cri m i nal hi st ory c at egory of I , the P S I r ec om m ended an adv i sory g u id e lin e s r a n g e o f

1 3 5 to 1 6 8 m o n th s ’ im p r is o n m e n t.We reviewa district cour t’s deter minat i o n o f a def

endant’ s role in the off

ense f or cle ar 1 error. United States v. DeVaron, 175 F.3d 930, 937 ( 11th Cir. 1999) (en ba nc). 3 A ts e nt e nc i ng, A l va r a do- F orbe s obj e c t e d t o the P S I ’ s f a i l ur e t o r e c om m e nd a m i t i gat i ng -r ol e r educt i on pu rs uantt o U . S . S . G . § 3 B 1. 2. T he di stri ctcourt o v e rru le dh is o b

je c tio n , n o tin g th a t “3 3 9 3 .4 k ilo g r a m s o f c o c a in e is n o s m a ll a m ount . ” T he di s tr i c tc ourtc onc l ude d tha tA l va r a do- F orbe s w a s a n “ a ve r a ge part i ci pant ” i n the drug i m po rt at i on conspi ra cyand thatthere w as no basi s f or a m i t i ga t i ng- r ol e r e duc t i on. T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt a d o p te dth e P S I a n dim p o s e da n 1 3 5 - m o n th s e n te n c e . A lv a r a d o - F o rb e s f

ile dth is ap p e a l.

I I . DI S CUS S I ON O n appe a l , A l va r a do- F orbe s a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourte rr e d byde ny i ng hi m am i nororm i ni m a l - r ol e r e duc t i on be c aus e he w a s m e r e l yam a r i ne ron the vess el and n otan organi ze r or l ea der. 1 A m i n o r p art i ci p an ti s o n e “ w h o i s l ess cu l p ab l e th an m o sto th er p art i ci p an t s, b u t w h o s e r o le c o u ldn o t b e d e s c r ib e da s m in im a l.” U .S .S .G . § 3 B 1 .2 c m t. n .5 . A m in im a l p a rtic ip a n t is o n e w h o “p la y s am in im a l r o le in c o n c e rte da c tiv ity ” a n d“is i n t en d edt o co v er d efen d an t s w h o are p l ai n l y am o n g th e l eastcu l p ab l e o f th o se i nvol ve d i n the c onduc tof agr oup. ” U . S . S . G . § 3B 1. 2 c m t . n. 4. T he de f e nda nt ha s the bur de n t o e s t abl i s h hi s r ol e i n the of f e ns e byapr e ponde r a nc e of the4

evi dence. U ni t ed S t at es v. D e V ar on , 17 5 F . 3d 93 0, 93 9 (11 th C i r. 19 99 ) ( en b a n c ) . In det erm i ni ng w hether am i no r- rol e r educt i on appl i es , the di stri ctcourt c ons i de r s tw o pr i nc i pl e s : ( 1) the de f e nda nt ’ s r ol e i n the of

f e ns e c om pa r e d t o the r e l e va ntc onduc ta ttr i but e d t o hi m i n c a l c ul a t i ng hi s ba s e of f e ns e l e ve l ; a nd ( 2) the de f e nda nt ’ s r ol e c om pa r e d t o tha tof othe rpa rt i c i pa nt s i n the of f e ns e . I d. a t940- 45 . W hen rel evantcond uctattri bu t ed t o a defendanti s i dent i ca l t o h i s a ctual c onduc t , he c a nnotpr ove tha the i s e nt i t l e d t o am i nor - r ol e a dj us tm e nts i m pl yby p o in tin g to ab r o a d e rs c h e m e f o rw h ic h h e w a s n o t h e lda c c o u n tab le . I d . a t 9 4 1 . F u rth erm o re, “ i n th e d ru g co u ri er co n t ex t , . . . th e am o u n to f d ru g s i m p o rt edi s a m a te r ia l c o n s id e r a tio n in a s s e s s in g ad e f e n d a n t’s r o le in [ h is ] r e le v a n t c o n du c t . . . . [ a nd] m a ybe di s pos i t i ve – i n a nd of i t s e l f – i n the e xtr e m e c a s e . ” I d. a t943. H ere, th e d i stri ctco u rtd i dn o tcl earl y err i n d en yi n g A l v arad o -F o rb es a m in o r - r o le r e du c tio n . U n d e rth e f ir s t p r o n g o f

D e V a r o n , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt h e ld A l va r a do- F orbe s a c c ount abl e onl yf orhi s a c tua l c onduc tof pa rt i c i pa t i ng i n the s m u g g lin g o f

th e 3 ,3 9 3 .4 o f

c o c a in e o n th e M /V R a m p a g e . H e w a s n o t h e ld a c c ount abl e f

orabr oa de rdrug c ons pi r a c y . I n a ddi t i on, the s ubs t a nt i a l a m ountof c oc a i ne on the ve s s e l w a s am a t e r i a l c ons i de r a t i on. U nd erthe se cond pron g o f D e V ar on , A l vara do -F orbes w as atl ea stasBe causeAlvarado-F orbes is not entitled to a mi nor-role adjustment, he is also not entitled 2 to a minimal-role adjustment. See U .S.S.G § 3B1.2 cmt. n.5. 5 c ul pabl e a s the othe rm e m be r s of the ve s s e l ’ s c r e w w ho pa rt i c i pa t e d i n the s m uggl i ng c ons pi r a c y . A l va r a do- F orbe s c l a i m s on appe a l tha thi s s ol e purpos e on the vess el w as “ t o b e al i ve bo dy on a boat ” and “ t o m ake the vess ell oo k l i ke a f is h in g v e s s e l . . . .” A lv a r a d o - F o rb e s f a ile dto p r e s e n t a n ye v id e n c e to s up p o rt th is c la im a t s e n te n c in g . S e e U n ite dS ta te s v . T r a in o r , 3 7 6 F .3 d1 3 2 5 , 1 3 3 4 n .5 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2004) ( “ [ A ] de f

e nda ntm us tpr ovi de e vi de nc e r e ga r di ng m i t i ga t i ng ci rc um st ance s t o sup po rta di stri ctcourt ’ s dow nw ar d d eparture. ”) . F urtherm ore, e v e n a s s u m in g a r g u e n d o th a t th is w a s A lv a r a d o - F o rb e s ’s p u rp o s e o n th e v e s s e l, it w oul d notm a ke hi m am i norpa rt i c i pa ntbe c aus e c onc e a l i ng the i l l e ga l na tur e of the vess el ’ s c ar go w ou l d b e vi t al t o the succ es s of the sm ug gl i ng sc hem e. 2 A l va r a do- F orbe s a l s o c om pl a i ns tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtdi d notc ons i de ron th e r e c o r da ll o f

th e f a c to r s lis te din U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .3 ( a ) ( 1 ) th r o u g h ( 4 ) r e la tin g to A lv a r a d o - F o rb e s ’s r e le v a n t c o n du c t. S e e U .S .S .G . c h .3 , p t. B , in tr o du c to ryc m t. ( “T h e d e te rm in a tio n o f

ad e f e n d a n t’s r o le in th e o f

f e n s e is to b e m a d e o n th e b a s is of al l cond uctw i th the sc op e of § 1B 1. 3 (R el evantC on du ct ), i . e. , al l cond uct in c lu d e du n d e r§ 1 B 1 .3 ( a ) ( 1 ) - ( 4 ) , a n dn o t s o le lyo n th e b a s is o f e le m e n ts a n da c ts c i t e d i n the c ountof

c onvi c t i on. ” ) . H ow e ve r , the r e i s no r e qui r e m e nttha tthe d is tr ic t c o u rt e x p lic itlyc o n s id e ro n th e r e c o r da ll r e le v a n t c o n du c t f a llin g w ith in6

U .S .S .G . § 1 B 1 .3 ( a ) ( 1 ) - ( 4 ) . S e e D e V a r o n , 1 7 5 F .3 da t 9 4 0 ( “[ A ] d is tr ic t c o u rt is notr e qui r e d t o m a ke a nys pe c i f i c f i ndi ngs othe rtha n the ul t i m a t e de t e rm i na t i on of the defendant ’ s r ol e i n the offens e. ”) . AF F I RME D.